​Part of the fun of being a creator of music pattern books is working out new harmonies on various instruments with my husband and kids. My youngest daughter started playing one our favorite Christmas songs, “We Wish You and Merry Christmas,” and I jumped up to accompany her on

​One of the reasons we are able to create glockenspiel xylophone and piano duets because each Up-a-do Unlimited xylophone is precision tuned so it can be played with other instruments such as piano, recorder and guitar.

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” is thought to be an English Christmas carol from the 1600’s. All Christmas carols were banned in the churches in England between 1647-1660 by Oliver Cromwell, who believed that Christmas should be a solemn and serious day. To keep the traditional carols alive, carolers went from house to house singing the holiday songs.

In the 1800’s, Victorian Era carolers brought back door to door Christmas caroling with an interesting twist. Often times, the carolers would refuse to leave until they had receive a treat of some kind, the favorite being “figgy pudding” which is why two of the lines in the song state, “Bring us some figgy pudding” and

and ​“We won’t go until we get some.” Figgy pudding is similar to an English Christmas pudding that contains raisins, molasses and spices.

Our family enjoys playing and singing Christmas Carols all through the holiday season. My hope is that in sharing our music and song patterns with you, we can give you the joy of creating musical memories with your family too!

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Author

​Debra Newby is a long time educator, a musician, a Heritage Dance caller and a credentialed teacher who is continually fascinated by patterns in life and academics. Read more about her in the author bio below. Ever the extrovert, she loves to chat and help people figure things out, and you can reach her at info@UpadoUnlimited.com.

Author Bio

​Debra Newby is a long time educator, a musician, a Victorian dance caller and a credentialed teacher who has tutored students in Japan, conducted science classes at a marine aquarium, and taught biology and chemistry courses at several California high schools. She has recently completed an exciting twenty-five year homeschooling adventure with her husband and three children, and a year ago welcomed her first grandchild into the family.

While sitting through many years of Suzuki violin lessons with her daughters, she marveled at how many songs – even classical songs – could be played with just eight notes, and she thought about ways that other children and adults could get an easily accessible start in music. She now creates Music Patterns for Upado (Up-a-do) Unlimited Glockenspiel Xylophones which work equally as well with recorders, hand bells and piano.

Continually fascinated by connections and patterns, Debra Newby also coaches and tutors high school and college students to recognize patterns in life and academics, creates dance patterns for her Heritage Dance Events Project and continues to search for more ways to help kids learn.